The six-laning and concreting work of the 400-metre-long stretch from Tiger Circle to MIT Junction here on the Malpe-Tirthhalli National Highway 169A will be completed by the end of December this year.
This stretch is important as it connects various educational and healthcare institutions here. Work on this stretch was delayed because of land acquisition issues.
Sources in the National Highways Division of the Public Works Department told The Hindu that the work on this stretch had started a couple of days ago. At present, there is a 14 metre-wide tar road with seven metres each on either side of the median.
After widening, a 19-metre-wide road with 9.5 metres each on either side of the median will come up in its place.
“The two-lane road on either side of the median will become a spacious three-lane concrete road on either side of the median. It will also have drains on either side. This will do away with the complaints of flooding on the road during the monsoon,” said an officer connected with the works.
According to sources, the widening (three-laning) work would be first taken up on the side of Kasturba Hospital. It would take about three weeks to widen and concrete this side of the road. After concreting, it would require three weeks for curing for the concrete work, which would be in mid-November.
After the curing is completed, the three-laning and concreting of the opposite side, that is the Canara Mall side, would be taken up by November-end. The widening work cannot be taken up simultaneously on both sides as one side has to be left open for vehicular traffic.
Meanwhile, while the curing of the first side on the Tiger Circle-MIT Junction is on, the division will take up three-laning and concreting of the 300-metre-long stretch (11 metre wide road) from KFC to Syndicate Circle on NH 169A. The Hideout side road on this stretch will be widened, while the work on the other side of the median (Kundelkadu side) will be taken up only after resolution of the land acquisition issue, the sources said.
The six-lane Tiger Circle-MIT Junction and the three-lane KFC-Syndicate Circle would be ready by the end of December, giving respite to road users who have to drive on both these stretches that are badly damaged.
